Source: CCTV.com

01-27-2008 13:38

Special Report:   2008 Spring Festival

Performers are crowding under the spotlight once again as rehearsals continue for the 2008 Spring Festival Gala on China Central Television in Beijing.

CCTV gets ready for its first full dress rehearsal of its  eagerly awaited Spring Festival Gala.

Sketches and cross-talk are expected to be polished productions with a social consciousness. The stock market, housing prices, transportation, and the coming Olympics were hot topics in 2007. These issues are fueling the artistic inspirations for many of the performances at the Gala. The segment is expected to take up a large part of the four-hour show. Popular artists Guo Da, Cai Ming, Huang Hong and many others will take the stage.

Li Qi, sketch performer, "I myself will take part in a short sketch on the relationship between doctors and patients. We are addressing a very sensitive social issue. It's so far not a fixed program on the gala, but we are doing what we can and hope for the best."

While singing and dancing has taken up a considerable part of the gala in previous years, this year's segment will be shortened to around an hour. The performance is expected to satiate a wide palette of tastes, with young singers joining the stage with veteran performers.

Caidan Zhuoma, musician, said, "I will be singing a duet with Cai Guoqing. It's a classical song from the 1940s and is a household number in Tibet. "

Since 1983, this staple feature of the Chinese New Year's Eve has entertained millions of viewers.

Since last year, provincial television stations have submitted entries to the Gala. This "door-opening" move has eased the pressure for CCTV's think tank as it pools ideas from around China. But whether this potpourri is your cup of tea, that's for you to decide on the Spring Festival Eve.